Vehicle shifter mechanism with shifter lever fitting

Abstract

A vehicle shifter mechanism comprises a shift control member configured with an outer threaded portion proximate an upper end, and an inwardly tapered bore proximate the upper end. A shift lever is configured with an outwardly extending annular shoulder proximate a lower end. The annular shoulder has a tapered lower portion configured to register with the tapered bore of the shift control member. A locking nut is configured to fit over the shift lever and to mate with the threaded portion of the shift control member to compress the tapered lower portion of the annular shoulder to the tapered bore to fix the shift control member to the shift lever.

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shifter mechanism comprising:
 a shift rod having an upper end defining an outer threaded portion and an inwardly tapered bore, and a lower end defining at least one shape for operatively engaging a control portion of a vehicle shifter; 
 an annular compression ferrule defining a tapered lower portion configured to register with a portion of the inwardly tapered bore of the shift rod; 
 a shifter lever having a lower end received within a through opening defined by the ferrule, the through opening sized to conform to the lower end of the shifter lever; and 
 a locking nut configured to fit over the ferrule and to mate with the threaded portion of the shift rod to compress the tapered lower portion of the ferrule to the tapered bore; 
 whereby compression of the ferrule between the locking nut and the shift rod serves to fix the shift lever to the shift rod. 
 
     
     
       2. The shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the bore is a blind bore extending from an upper surface of the shift rod inwardly along an axial dimension of the shift rod. 
     
     
       3. The shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , the ferrule being frictionally engaged by the shift lever lower end. 
     
     
       4. The shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , the shift rod further comprising an annular portion extending outwardly below the outer threaded portion of the shift rod, the annular portion defining a pair of oppositely disposed flat surfaces. 
     
     
       5. The shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , the locking nut further comprising an inwardly-extending annular collar configured to abut the ferrule. 
     
     
       6. The shifter mechanism of  claim 5 , the annular collar having an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the lower end of the shift lever. 
     
     
       7. The shifter mechanism of  claim 6 , the shift lever configured with an outer threaded portion proximate an upper end of the shift lever configured to receive a shift knob thereon. 
     
     
       8. The shifter mechanism of  claim 7 , the upper end of the shift lever having a smaller diameter than the lower end of the shift lever, the shift lever defining a tapered shape between the upper and lower ends thereof. 
     
     
       9. The shifter mechanism of  claim 8 , the shift rod lower end defining at least one indent configured to couple with and operatively engage a portion of a vehicle shifter. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the collar has an internal diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the shift lever lower portion. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the ferrule is frictionally secured about the shift lever lower portion. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered lower portion of the ferrule is sized and shaped to correspond to the swaged opening of the bore. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the shift control member defines an annular portion extending outwardly from a lower circumferential portion of the shift control member upper portion, the annular portion defining a pair of oppositely disposed flat surfaces. 
     
     
       14. A vehicle shifter mechanism comprising:
 a shift control member having an upper portion defining a cylindrical, threaded outer surface, and an annular bore extending from an upper surface of the shift control member axially inwardly along a central axis of the shift control member, the bore defining a swaged opening proximate the upper surface of the shift control member; 
 a shift lever having a ferrule positioned proximate a lower portion of the shift lever, the ferrule defining an annular shoulder surrounding and extending outwardly from the shift lever lower portion, the ferrule further defining a tapered lower portion configured to be received within the swaged opening; and 
 a compression nut having internal threads sized for matable engagement with the threaded outer surface of the shift control member upper portion, the compression nut having an inwardly-extending annular collar configured to abut the shoulder of the ferrule to secure the ferrule between the collar and the swaged opening; 
 whereby, with the lower portion of the ferrule received within the bore, the compression nut is threadably mated with the shift control member upper portion to compress the ferrule between the collar and the swaged opening, thereby securing the ferrule and shift lever in fixed relation with the shift control member. 
 
     
     
       15. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 14 , wherein the shift lever has an upper portion defining external threads for threadably receiving a shifter knob thereon. 
     
     
       16. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 14 , wherein the upper portion of the shift lever defines a cylindrical outer shape, and wherein the lower portion of the shift lever defines a cylindrical outer shape having a diameter greater than or equal to a diameter of the cylindrical outer shape of the upper portion of the shift lever. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle shifter mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein the shift lever defines a gradual taper between the upper portion of the shift lever and the lower portion of the shift lever. 
     
     
       18. A vehicle shifter mechanism comprising:
 a shift control member having an upper portion defining a cylindrical, threaded outer surface, and an annular bore extending from an upper surface of the shift control member axially inwardly along a central axis of the shift control member, the bore defining a swaged opening proximate the upper surface of the shift control member, the shift control member defining an annular portion extending outwardly from a lower circumferential portion of the shift control member upper portion, the annular portion defining a pair of oppositely disposed flat surfaces; 
 a shift lever having a ferrule frictionally secured proximate a lower portion of the shift lever, the ferrule defining an annular shoulder surrounding and extending outwardly from the shift lever lower portion, the ferrule further defining a tapered lower portion configured to be received within the swaged opening, the tapered lower portion of the ferrule being sized and shaped to correspond to the swaged opening of the bore, the shift lever having an upper portion defining external threads for threadably receiving a shifter knob thereon, the upper portion of the shift lever defining a cylindrical outer shape, and the lower portion of the shift lever defining a cylindrical outer shape having a diameter greater than or equal to a diameter of the cylindrical outer shape of the upper portion of the shift lever, the shift lever defining a gradual taper between the upper portion of the shift lever and the lower portion of the shift lever; and 
 a compression nut having internal threads sized for matable engagement with the threaded outer surface of the shift control member upper portion, the compression nut having an inwardly-extending annular collar configured to abut the shoulder of the ferrule to secure the ferrule between the collar and the swaged opening, the collar having an internal diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the shift lever lower portion; 
 whereby, with the lower portion of the ferrule received within the bore, the compression nut is threadably mated with the shift control member upper portion to compress the ferrule between the collar and the swaged opening, thereby securing the ferrule and shift lever in fixed relation with the shift control member.